William h



(No Model.)

W. H. SPRAGUE.

REVOLVER.

Patented Apr. 8, 1888.

whines yew,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM H. SPRAGUE, OF J AMESTOWVN, NE\V YORK.

REVOLVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,361, dated April 3, 1888.

Application filed March 3, 1886.

To all whom it mag concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SPRAGUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire- Arms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in fire-arms which are loaded from the breech, either in revolving cylinders or other loading devices; and the object of my invention is to allow the cylinder or other loading device to occupy a position in the breech or handle with its axis at an angle to the line along which the projectile is delivered from the muzzle, and thereby rendering the complete fire-arm more compact, lessening the weight of pocket-arms, and making them more convenient in use and transportation. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pocketrevolver constructed in accordance with my invention, and showing the breech open. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.

The barrel A is curved fora part of its length at the breech end in the general direction of the handle or breech of the arm, to allow the cylinder B or other loading device to be placed within the handle of the pistol, or in a gun within the breech of the stock, so as to render the arm compact and its surface free from abrupt projections.

The barrel A may be constructed in two sections joined at the point a, or in one section with the part in the rear of the point a properly curved. The orifice of the loading device 0, or of one of the chambers of the cylinder B, containing the charges, is in proper alignment with the rear end of the barrel A and in contact therewith, and it is obvious that upon the discharge of the arm the projectile will follow the curved section of the barrel to the point a, and from thence will be delivered in a straight line to and out from the muzzle. The rear end of the barrel is screwed or otherwise secured to the forward transverse partition, D, of the frame. This frame may be of any suitable form, according Serial No. 193,888. (No model.)

to the nature of the fire-arm. In the present instance it has a central longitudinal rib, D, that forms the stock of the pistol. The top and bottom portions of this rib are united on one side by a semicircular shell, Dflthat forms one-half of the walls inclosing the cylinder B, and the semicircular shell D on the opposite side is hinged at d to the upper part of the rib D. This hinged shell has two internal lugs, 61 having a perforation in their free end, through which passes the axial pin (1 of the cylinder B. The front and rear transverse partitions, D D, have recesses cl, to receive the lugs d so that the front face of the cylinder B will fit against the partition D and the rear of the barrel and prevent the escape of gases at that point.

The hinged shell d may be retained closed simply by the hand of the user whilegrasping the stock or breech of the pistol, or by any suitable spring-catch. This pistol is provided with a suitable hammer, E, pivoted to the frame at its lower end at e.

To force its striking upper end forward, the hammer is connected by means of a link, f, with the bent spring F, the upper end of said link resting upon the free end of the spring, while the lower end of the link is pivoted at f to the rear end of the hammer. The trigger G may be eitherjstraight or provided with a ring at its outer end. It has its inner end pivoted to the frame at g, and a flat spring, h, bears upon it at that point. To the trigger is pivoted one end of the rod 9, and the opposite end abuts against one end of the arm 0 pivoted to the front of the hammer. This arm rests upon a projection, d of the frame, so that when the trigger is pulled and the arm e is pushed back its free end becomes sufficiently elevated to escape from in front of the rod 9 and permit the point of the hammer to strike forward under the impulse of itsspring E. To the lower end of the hammer is also pivoted one end of a pawl, 0 the upper end Although I prefer as a load-receiver a cylinder with many chambers, said receiver may be made withna single chamber and be either movable or secured to the rear end of th curved barrel;

Having now fully described my inveniionfl 1. In a fire-arm, a cylinder or load receiver located within the handle 01 breech of said with its supporting-frame,asemicircular shell hinged to said frame at the breech of the barrel, and a cylinder 01' load-receiver secured to 20 said shell and moved therewith so as to bring a shell-holding chamber in alignment with the said barrel, substantially as and for the pose'descr'ibed. f

3. The combination of a pistol-barrel having 25 a downward curve at its breech, its supporting-frame, and a shell hinged to said frame at the rear of the barrel, with a load-receiver located Within the handle of said pistol and borne by the hinged shell,substantially as and 30 for the purpose described. j

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. Z

WILLIAMzH. sPrhAcUE.

Witnesses: V

JAMEs I. Fofwnna, H. M GAGE. 

